Occupational Medicine and Total Worker Health®: from preventing health and safety risks in the workplace to promoting health for the total well-being of the worker

Authors

  • Ivo Iavicoli Department of Public Health, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
  • Giovanna Spatari Department of Biomedical and Dentistry Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, Università degli Studi di Messina, Messina, Italy
  • L. Casey Chosewood Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
  • Paul A. Schulte Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD, United States

Keywords:

Healthsafety; well-being; Total Worker Health; sustainability; decent work

Abstract

Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of Public Health interventions for global social and economic development. Still, the community’s well-being depends on each individual’s health. In addition to pandemics, health conditions can be altered by chronic degenerative diseases, aging, disabilities, and work. Personal behaviors such as poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, excessive alcohol consumption, and drug use can also affect health and safety at work. In the last twenty years, we have witnessed rapid changes in the nature of work, workplace and workforce. In parallel, there is increasing attention to fatigue, psychosocial risks and the achievement of decent, sustainable and healthy work as societal goals. Consequently, in 2011, NIOSH developed Total Worker Health®, a holistic approach to worker well-being to help improve worker health and safety. More recently, in Italy, the Ministry of Health has provided for the preparation of projects according to the “Total Worker Health (TWH)” approach in the National Prevention Plan for the five years 2020-2025. As indicated by the Ministry, the strategic role of the occupational physician is fundamental, being the only figure of occupational safety and health professionals able to integrate the health and safety of workers with their well-being to reach the Total Worker Health.

Author Biography

Ivo Iavicoli, Department of Public Health, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Tel. 02/50320125 - Fax 02/50320126

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Published

07-12-2022

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Section

Reviews, Commentaries, Perspectives

How to Cite

1.
Occupational Medicine and Total Worker Health®: from preventing health and safety risks in the workplace to promoting health for the total well-being of the worker. Med Lav [Internet]. 2022 Dec. 7 [cited 2024 Mar. 29];113(6):e2022054. Available from: https://mattioli1885journals.com/index.php/lamedicinadellavoro/article/view/13891